The original "Halo: Combat Evolved" put the first Xbox on the map. Bungie's grand experiment proved that a fast-paced shooter could work on a console, escaping the keyboard and mouse controls that kept hard-core gamers tethered to their PCs.

Later "Halo" installments broke new ground for online gaming, with excellent match-making and fast-paced gameplay that was universally lauded.

Finally, for the Xbox One's third holiday season, Microsoft and new developer 343 Studios are giving fans the game everyone has been awaiting, "Halo 5: Guardians."

In the latest installment, the story takes a turn as Spartan Locke leads a team to find Master Chief, the protagonist for the first four games.

In a series first, you can play though the entire campaign with four-player, drop-in co-op. It's a nice addition, albeit one available only online, but by taking the emphasis off Master Chief, the story falls flat.

It relies on a lot of assumed knowledge regarding the whole "Halo" mythos and doesn't supply enough information on various characters to get players invested.

This doesn't detract from the excellent action provided by the 15 dense levels, each one a compact playground loaded with more secrets that you can find in a single play-through.

Playing with a squad, controlled either by online friends or the computer, adds a different dynamic to the campaign. It falls somewhere between the single- and multiplayer. Strictly from a gameplay standpoint, it's very satisfying.

If playing alone, you can issue commands to your AI-controlled squad-mates, but they are very basic and cannot replace a group of buddies working together.

Once you're finished with the campaign, there's still plenty of game left thanks to the multiplayer, including the new addition of Warzone.

Warzone takes two teams of 12 players and squares them off in a contest to see who can be the first to score 10,000 points or capture all the opponent's territory.

It sounds like a simple premise, but thanks to the sprawling maps (each one is about four times the size of earlier "Halo" maps) and unrelenting action, this new mode showcases how much fun is left in this series.

All the previous popular multiplayer modes are intact, as well, and all look better than ever on the Xbox One. It was hard dragging myself away from Warzone to try them out, though, and it will be a while before I go back to any of the others. Warzone is just too much fun.

Longtime series fans will discover that this game controls much smoother than any previous iteration.

Microsoft released the Xbox One Elite controller in conjunction with "Halo 5: Guardians." (Courtesy photo)

Not only can you now make a quick dash to avoid fire, you can hover when jumping to make the path of your jump less predictable. Your Spartan can even climb up ledges now, despite the heavy armor and weapons. It's incredibly useful when navigating difficult terrain.

To digress for just a moment, it should be noted that Microsoft released a new controller at the same time as "Halo 5." The Xbox One Elite controller is meant for gamers who take their play very seriously.

A heavy-duty masterpiece, the Elite features three sets of interchangeable thumb-sticks, two different control pads, four paddles that connect to the back nd even hair-trigger locks for the main triggers, so you can shorten the distance between firing.

The whole thing is sturdy and the enhancements work like a dream. The downside, of course, is that the Elite is nearly three times the cost of a standard controller: $150.

Still, gamers looking for a distinct edge, and those who aspire to the ranks of professional competitive gaming, should consider this upgrade.

Like the Xbox One Elite controller, "Halo 5: Guardians" shows the attention to detail and the level of refinement Microsoft has put into its signature franchise. Everything here from the controls to the graphics to the outstanding voice work is polished to a fine sheen.

It would have been nice had the story been more a little more detailed, but it doesn't diminish from the fun. Go online and get caught up with the backstory and then dive into one of the finest shooters in years.

Every aspect of "Halo 5: Guardians" is polished to a fine sheen. (Courtesy image)

The Boulder alt-country band gives its EPs names such as Death and Resurrection, and its songs bear the mark of hard truths and sin. But the punk energy behind the playing, and the sense that it's all in good fun, make it OK to dance to a song like "Death." Full Story